Tripod.



J. 0. MORTOfi & A. s. RUPARD.

TRIPOD.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, 1912.

Patented May 6, 1913.

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TRIPOD. 'APPLIcATIofI FILED MAYG, 1912.

1,061, 102. I Patented May 6, 1913.

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JOSEPH C. MORTON AND ALBERT S. RUPARD OF ELDORADO SPRINGS, MISSOURI.

TRIPOD;

Application filed Ma s; 1912. Serial No. 695,549.

To (Ill whom 1'15 may (truce/'21.

lie it known that we. Josnru (T. Mon'roN and Annmrr S. Roman, citizens of the United States residing at Eldorado Springs, in the countv of Cedar and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful ln'lprovements in Tripods; and we do declare the following; to be a full, clear. and exacttlescription ot' the invention. such as will enable others-skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to ilmn'ovements 1n tripods, and particularly to tripods tor supporting cameras.

()ne object oi the invention isto provide a tripod having a camera attaching means capable of being adjusted vertically, 'and ot' beingtilted longitudinally and laterally. whereby the camera may be readily brought to the desired position without disturbing the tripod legs atter they have been set, up.

Another object is to provide an adjustable attaching mechanism for tripods which will be simple. Sll't)llf f 'tllll'fll)l( and inexpensive in constructhm. ellicient and reliable in operation and well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed.

\Vith these and other objectsin View, the

invention consists of certain novel features of constriu'tion. and the combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and claimed.

.In the accompanyinp, drawings; Figure l is a side view of a tripod constructed in ac (.ordance with our invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged side View of the-head and adjustable attaching, mechanism of the tripod showingthe latter in operative position; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the hinge member of the attaching mechanism swung upwardly. to permit the same. to be fastened to a tripod. Fig. 4 is an end view of the inner or rear end of the attaching mechanism; Fig. 5 is a central vertical longitudinal section taken on the line of Fig. 4;- Fig. (3 is a similar view taken at right angles to Fig. 5 and on the line (it3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is atop plan view f the lower section of the attaching mechanism; Fig. 8 IS an illverted plan view of the upper section of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May fi, 1913.

attaching mechanism; F ig. 9 is an enlarged outer side view of the outer end of the upper member of one of the tripod legs and the inner end or" the lower member showing the means for holding said leg members in extended position; Fig. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof on the line 10-40 of Fig. 9. i

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes; the head of our improved tripod. To said head are hingedly connected the upper members 2 of the tripod legs, said members being bifurcated to provide parallel bars which are connected together at their outer ends by inner and outer clips 3 and have arranged on said outer ends substantially l-shaped spring catches & having outwardly turned inner ends which form thumb pieces 5 for releasing said catches. Slidably engaged between the bars of the inner members 2ot the legs are outer leg members 6 having in their outer ends the usual pins 7 to prevent the slipping of the legs and having on the inner and outer sides of their upper ends "aide plates 8 which engage the inner and outer sides of'the inner members of the legs as shown. In the outer sides of the inner ends of the outer members (3 of the leg are short outwardly projecting studs E) which, when the outer sections 3 of the lens are drawn outwardly to their greatest extent pass beneath the inner ends of the catches -lwhich spring over, the studs and thereby prevent the casual closing .or inward movement of the ,outer sections of the tripod legs.

Slidably engaged with the head land with a collar secured'to the lower side of the.

head is a tubular supporting post 10 which is secured in its adjustable positions in the haul and sleeve by a set screw 11. fastened to the upper end of the post 10 is the lower plate 12 of a camera attaching meehanisn'i. On the rear end of the plate 12" is a reduced extension which is of somewhat greater thickness than the plate 12 and has Rigidly therein a vertically disposed threaded passage with which is engaged a combined adustmg and fastening screw 13 having. on lts lower end a milled head 1st and on its upper end an annular enlargement 15,immediately below which is formed an annular groove 16. The purpose of the screw 13 will be hereinafter more fully described. On the torwa rd end of the plate 12 is a pair of u uvardl turned apertured pivot lugs '17 which form one member of the hinge connection of an upper "camera attaching member 18.

The upper camera attachingmember comprises a pair of parallel rods 19 having their for ard ends curred inwardly and provided with apertures to receive a pivot pin 20 which also pivotally engages the apertured pivot lug 17 on the plate 12. The rear ends of the rods 19 curve downwardly on opposite sides of the rear end of the plate and said ends are threaded and engaged with a substantially triangular bracket 21. The bracket 21 is securely fastened to the thread" ed ends of the rods 19 by clamping; nuts 21.

which are screwed onto said ends of the rods and engage the opposite sides of the adjacent parts of the bracket as shown.

Arranged above the rods 19 and spaced a suitable distance therefrom is an upper camera attaching plate 21011 the inner end of which is secured a rearwardly projecting stud bolt 23 which is pivotally engaged with an aperture in the upper end of the bracket 21 and has loosely mounted thereon adjacent to the outer side of the bracket, a bracket clamping" washer '24 which is adapted to be clamped into rigid engagement with the outer side of the bracket. by a clamping lever 25 having in its inner end a threaded passage to receive the stud bolt 23. On the bolt between the inner side of the washer Q4 and the outer side of the bracket is preferably arranged a wear plate or washer 26. On the forward end of the plate 22 is secured a forwardly projecting stud bolt 27. which is pivotally engaged with a yoke shaped plate supporting member 28 the depending ends of which are pivotally engaged with the pivot bolt 20 in the apcrtured lugs of the attaching plate 12. The outer end of the stud bolt projects a short distance beyond the yoke shaped member 28 and on said projecting end of the bolt is screwed a clan'ipinp nut 29. In the lower side of the rear end of the plate 22 is a socket or recess 30 with which engaged the upper end of the adjusting screw 13 in the rear end of the lower attaching plate 12. Pivotally secured atone end to a dei'iendinp stud on the lower side of the rear end of the plate 22 is a locking lever 31 having; in one side a notch or recess 32 which is adapted to be engaged with the annular groove 46 in the upper end of the screw 13 whereby the upper attaching plate 22 and the parts attac ed thereby are tastcncd to the screw and t iereby held in a lowered position. Secured to the upper side of the upper attaching plate 2-2 is a camera supporting block or base plate ll) in the center of which is secured the usual swiveled camera attaching screw l-t by mcans of which the body or frame of the camera is securely fastened to the plate 133.

By proridinpj'au attaching mechanism constru ted as herein shown and described, it will be seen that the camera when connectcd thcrcwitb may be. readily tilted ton wardly, i'carwardly. or laterally in either direction and to the desired angle or incli nation without interfering with the legs of the tripod after they have been set up in position.

When it is desired to adjust the camera attaching n'icchanism laterally the locking lever 31 released from its engagement with the screw 13 and said mechanism temporarily held in the desired position by the means before described. lit is understood, however, in this connection that when no lateral. ai'ljustment of the camera is required the longitudinal movement o'. the. same is absolutely prevented by the. interlocking: cngagement of the lever 31 and screw 3 previously referred to. whereby a rigid construction is obtained under ordinary application of the invention and constructive parts thereof. It will also be seen that the camera may be readily raised or lowered to the desired height on the tripod by means of the supporting post and screw arranged in the head of the tripod as shown.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the acc mpanying drawingijs. the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring" a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing: any of the advantages ot the invention as claimed.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is;

in a device of the character described, a -amcra attaching mechanism mounted upon supporting legs, said mcclutuism comprising a fixed and a movable member, the latter being" capable of adjustment, parallel rods her, a bracket secured tothe rear ends of said rod and projecting upwardly therefrom, a camera attaching plate forming a part. of the movable member, a projecting threaded bolt forming a part of said plate and passing loosely through the. bracket, a clamping, lever mounted upon said bolt for holding the movable member rigidly to the bracket, an adjusting screw mounted in the carried by the movable member having their, forward ends pivoted to the stationary memfixed member, the upper end of which is in detachable Contact with th plate of the set our hands in presume of two subscribing movable member, and a lever carried by Witnesses. f said plate and adapted for interlocking en- JOSEPH C. MORTON. gagemeut with an annular groove formed ALBERT S. RUPARD. 5 in the adjusting screw for the purpose (1e \Vitnesses:

scribed. W. O. ELLISTON, In testimony whereof we have hereunto O. P. GASSITY. 

